In his first fight at 140, former undisputed lightweight champion Devin “The Dream” Haney came back to his birthplace of San Francisco, California, and on Saturday night at the Chase Center, Haney dominated Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) and won the WBC world title.
This highly anticipated matchup quickly transitioned into a one-sided affair as Haney dictated the pace and range of the fight all night long. It was target practice for Haney as his jab and one-two combination constantly hit the bullseye.
Back in November 2022, Regis Prograis received the chance to fight for the vacant WBC super-lightweight title. He took full advantage of the opportunity as he knocked out Jose Zepeda in the 11th round, and on that night, Prograis became a two-time super-lightweight champion.
After signing with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, Prograis had his homecoming bout in New Orleans, Louisiana back in June 2023. It was a lackluster performance as Prograis defeated Danielito Zorrilla via split decision.
During the course of the bout, it became obvious in regards to Prograis being unable to effectively close the distance against his opponent. A very interested observer was at the fight collecting the data, as Devin Haney’s father/trainer, Bill Haney, was in attendance.
As the undisputed lightweight champion, Devin Haney made the second defense of his crown in May 2023 when he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko.
After experiencing difficulties making the 135-pound limit, Haney decided to move up to 140, and his first bout in the division would be against the reigning WBC world champion.
On fight night Devin Haney started the opening round by routinely using the tactic of circling to his left in order to neutralize the powerful left hand of Prograis. Haney focused on utilizing his jab, while Prograis targeted the body.
Haney had a very good second round as he controlled the range and landed a couple of solid right-hand uppercuts. In the third round, Haney remained in complete control of the fight as he scored a knockdown when he landed a sharp, straight right hand.
For the next couple of rounds, Haney dictated the pace of the fight as he routinely landed his jab and the one-two combination. In the sixth round Haney landed a solid one-two combination that wobbled the legs of Regis Prograis.
Fast forward to the ninth round, and once again, Haney landed a combination that knocked Prograis off balance. For the remainder of the bout, Haney was able to impose his will and completely dominate the fight.
Devin Haney’s speed, power, accuracy, and ring intelligence were on display as he made Prograis look like a student in his masterclass. Haney was dominant, and the scorecards reflected it as all three judges scored the bout 120-107 in favor of the new WBC world champion.
After the bout, the two-division world champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) gave his assessment of his performance during the post-fight press conference. When Haney was asked about a potential fight with his rival Gervonta “Tank” Davis, he gave a blunt response.
“Tank don’t want to fight because if he really wanted to fight, then he’d be trying to build up the fight instead of trying to knock it down or trying to say I’m only selling because of this or because of that,” Haney stated.
The new WBC champion went on to say, “If he really wanted to fight me, he’ll be making it that it’s a big fight and it’s the best fight for boxing, but he only talks down on the fight, but like I said many times, they say everything, well let’s fight.”
Devin Haney thinks Tank Davis isn’t interested in fighting him, and Devin’s father, Bill Haney, shares the same belief. During an interview with Fight Hub TV, Bill Haney stated his opinion.
“I want to see who’s gonna mention Tank other than us. Tank, Tank, Tank, where you at Tank because guess what? We’re free, and you are.” Bill Haney went on to say, “We don’t got no fight, so what’s going to happen? Tank, Tank, Tank, Tank, Tank, Tank, stop me from saying his name. Punch me in the mouth because I’m going to keep saying Tank, Tank, Tank, don’t want to fight Devin.”
Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis are very familiar with each other, and after Haney’s performance against Prograis on Saturday night, a potential clash between Haney and Davis has transitioned from a good fight to a huge event.
